Supervision in Social Work

First published in 1976, Supervision in Social Work has become an essential text for social work educators and students, detailing the state of the field and the place, function, and challenges of supervision in social work practice.

This fifth edition takes into account the sizable number of articles and books published on supervision since 2002. Changes in public health and social welfare policy have intensified concern about the social work supervision of licensed practitioners. Tax and spending limitations at all levels of government, combined with the unfolding effects of welfare reform and managed health care, have increasingly emphasized the need for the efficient and accountable administration of health and social services in the private and public sectors. This edition confronts issues raised by these developments, including budgetary allocation and staff management, the problems of worker burnout and safety, the changing demographics and growing diversity of the supervising workforce, evidence-based and licensure supervision, and performance appraisal.

Alfred Kadushin was the Julia C. Lathrop Distinguished Professor of Social Work Emeritus at the School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was the author of Consultation in Social Work, The Social Work Interview, Adopting Older Children, and, with Judith A. Martin, Child Abuse: An Interactional Event, all published by Columbia University Press. Dr. Kadushin passed away in February of 2014.

Daniel Harkness is a professor in the School of Social Work at Boise State University, where he teaches graduate courses in the evaluation and treatment of mental disorders and social work practice. As a licensed clinical social worker and registered clinical supervisor, he has forty years of practice experience.

Kim Strom-Gottfried, UNC School of Social Work:
Supervision is an incredibly complex aspect of professional practice, encompassing support, education, administration, evaluation, discipline, and risk management. Since its first edition, this book has been the gold standard on the art and science of supervision. The authors effectively build on that strong foundation by distilling important research, identifying risks and opportunities, and recommending strategies for sound supervision amid contemporary challenges. Our profession is so fortunate to have this resource!

Marion Bogo, University of Toronto:
This edition of the classic Alfred Kadushin and Daniel Harkness text continues as the seminal work on supervision in social work, a distinctive practice valued by generations of social workers. Drawing on the growing body of contemporary empirical findings, the authors provide support for many of the long-standing concepts, principles, and practices so astutely identified in the original and later editions. Recent literature from social work and related fields is integrated with contemporary issues facing social work agencies and their supervisors. New and experienced supervisors as well as supervision scholars and researchers will find this comprehensive text an invaluable resource.

Cynthia D. Bisman, Bryn Mawr College:
The continuation of a classic! As always, the book is a joy to read, replete with numerous case examples to illustrate the major principles.